January 15th, 2009
Math Dad
EDIT:
Given the amount of attention the math on this comic has received, if you really want a version with math that works out a little better… ask and ye shall receive.
EDIT:
Given the amount of attention the math on this comic has received, if you really want a version with math that works out a little better… ask and ye shall receive.
January 28th, 2009 at 5:07 am
great first frame set up, great colors, great four panel storytelling
January 30th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Agree with the above comment, and I like the very small detail on the 4th question of “where does he keep his gun?”
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:20 am
holy crap i didn’t even notice that gun part
February 6th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
This is also very funny. I also like the hidden gun. How long do each of these take to make, also put them in a magazine or noteboook and I’ll buy one.
March 18th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Wait, If the second comment means that his dad in 5 years time is 3 times the kids age plus 6. Then that makes the kid 22!
Of if his age is 3x(the kids + 6) the kids still 17.
ahem….
March 18th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Hmm, it seems then that the father is 79 and the son is 22…
March 18th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
I’m glad to see I wasn’t the only one who felt compelled to solve it!
March 19th, 2009 at 2:06 am
Okay, so what we have is the following:
(x+5-1)4=y and (x+6)3=y
Simplified, we come to:
x^4=(x^3)+2
From there, I can’t figure it out. However, I do know the kid is not 22 or 17 as suggested above. Any bigger math geeks than me?
March 19th, 2009 at 2:26 am
WHOA there buddy I have no idea how you brought powers into this.
it should really be:
4(x-1)=y+5 and 3(x+6)=y+5
4x-4=3x+18
x=22
y+5=4(21)=84
y=79
The masses are right. We really just chose numbers that looked good, since the fact that the kid would know his own age makes it ridiculous for his dad to give him two equations anyways. But nonetheless it was a foolish and lazy choice.
Although consider this: maybe he’s just a really bad math teacher
March 19th, 2009 at 2:43 am
The first answers are right, it’s 22 and 79.
The equations to set it up are x+5=4(y-1) and x+5=3(y+6). x is the dad, y is the kid.
I knew algebra would come to use somehow in life outside school.
March 19th, 2009 at 11:32 am
In the one where the maths works better, the kid is 5 and the father is 25.
5x = 4x+5
March 24th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
You obviously don’t understand the equation matt. You are leaving out the second part. (5+1)*3 is not 25+1.
March 24th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Actually, I think the kid is 8 and the dad is 37, but I was never any good at algebra.
March 24th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
ha ha ya I hate when people make stuff harder then it needs to be. But I think the kids 4?
March 24th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
He’s 6.
March 24th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
There is no possible way to solve this, you need to know the age of the father or the child
March 24th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
steveb, how hard did you fail algebra in school?
March 24th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Steveb, you may think its impossible to solve now…but 7th grade math will blow your mind!
March 24th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
3+4(x+2)=y
5x+y
solve x in terms of y to get x=Y/5
Pluge in x in terms of y into the second equation to get 3+4((Y/5)+2)=Y
then solve for them both to get
Dad is 55
and the Son is 11
March 24th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
eq1: 4(x+2) = y + 3 and eq2: 5x = y+3
eq1: 4x + 8 = y +3
eq1: 4x + 5 = y
eq2: 5x = (4x + 5) + 3
eq2: 5x = 4x + 8
eq2: x = 8
x[son] = 8
y[dad] = 37
March 24th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Great strip - perfect timing - keep up the good work.
http://www.SamTheDecider.com
March 24th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
For the first:
4(x-1)=y+5 & 3(x+6)=y
Assuming y represents the father’s age,
4x-9=3x+18
4x=3x+27
x=27, being the kid’s age
y=99
Now, for the revised one,
y+3=4(x+2) & 5x=y
5x+3=4x+8
5x=4x+5
x=5
y=25
Pretty sure it’s correct, feel free to correct me, though
March 24th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
When you get your answers for both the son and the father, look back at the comic. Add 5 to the father’s age and subtract 1 from the son’s age. Now ask yourself if the father is four times as old. The only answer that works is 79 and 22.
In five years (79+5 = 84) the father will be 4 times as old as the son was last year (22-1 = 21).
Please check your work before you post thinking that you’re correct.
March 24th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
@dmgi
4 * -1 != -9
March 24th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
k=kid’s age; d=dad’s age;
(k-1)*4=d+5; (in 5 years, I will be 4x as old as you were last year)
(k+6)*3=d; (and 3 times as old as you will be in 6 years);
Strategy: Solve both for d, and set them equal, solve for k:
————————————————————————–
eq.1: Distribute
4k-4=d+5
subtract 5 from both sides
4k-9=d
eq.2: distribute
(k+6)*3=d
3k+18=d
Set 3k+18=4k-9 (both expressions equal d, therefore they are equal to each other)
subtract 3k from both sides, add 9 to both sides:
27=k
kid’s age is 27!
use kids age to solve for dad’s age:
(27+6)*3=d
33*3=d
99=d
Dad is 99!
Kid is 27!
March 24th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
How is everyone getting this wrong / bringing powers into this / saying it cannot be solved??
according to some paint.exe algebra, it’s 22 & 79
March 24th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
Dionayus,
I substracted the five on the other side, sorry my work wasn’t that clear, but doing math notatuon on the iPhone is a pain in the ass with variables.
March 24th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Sorry for misspelling your name.
March 24th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Haha, very impressive. I love the artwork, coloring and definitely the punch-line. I wasn’t expecting much, but was quite impressed!
March 24th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Much confusion is caused by assumptions made in the second bubble in panel 3.
There are at least three “possible” ways to interpret the situation.
One way is according to dmgi and mathie. This models traditional algebra word problems involving age. (Since there are two unknowns, it takes two equations to solve.)
in five years DAD will be four times as old as SON was last year ==> dad + 5 = 4 * (son - 1)
DAD IS three times as old as SON will be in six years ==> dad = 3 * (son + 6)
They both correctly solved this problem to find son = 27 and dad = 99.
Another way is purposed by Phil and Mike D. They do not not show their “work” like good math students, but this method finds their answers.
in five years DAD will be four times as old as SON was last year ==> dad + 5 = 4 * (son - 1)
in five years DAD will be three times as old as SON will be in six years ==> dad + 5 = 3 * (son + 6)
This finds the son = 22 and dad = 79.
There is a third way to see it:
in five years DAD will be four times as old as SON was last year *AND* three times as old as SON will be in six years ==> dad + 5 = 4 * (son - 1) + 3 * (son + 6)
Unfortunately, this does not directly solve the problem, BUT it does generate a formula for the son to calculate his dad’s age based on the son knowing his own age ==> dad = 7 * son + 9
March 25th, 2009 at 12:56 am
I’m sorry, but you’ve all failed miserably at math, so I’ll break this down…
Since the Dad gives two equations for his age, and his age has to be the same, we can set the two equations equal to each other.
E1: In five years I will be four times as old as you were last year…
Childs age = x
4(x-1) + 5
E2: Three times as old as you will be in six years.
3(x+6)
**Algebra time**
4(x-1) + 5 = 3(x+6)
March 25th, 2009 at 1:20 am
jesus christ… i’ve never seen a bigger comment fail in my life
whoever didn’t get the son being 22 in the original comic and him being 8 in the new one
go get your gun
and let natural selection take over
original:
x= kid’s age
y=dad’s age
equation 1
4(x-1)=y+5
4x-4=y+5
equation 2
3(x+6)=y+5
3x+18=y+5
3x+18=4x-4
x=22
y=4(22-1)-5
y=84-5
y=79
everyone follow so far???
new comic
same variables
equation 1
4(x+2)=y+3
4x+8=y+3
equation 2
5x=y+3
4x+8=5x
x=8
y=5x-3
y=37
CactusRat… if your gonna call people out… at least get it right
your equation comes out with 19… that is wrong… do not think otherwise
but i wasn’t kidding get your gun and shoot yourself.
i know shooting yourself seems difficult, and yes it’s hard
make sure the safety is off
make sure the gun is loaded
point it at either your head or put the barrel in your mouth if you have bad aim
squeeze the trigger… so many people say pull
that’s incorrect… it’s squeeze
March 25th, 2009 at 2:34 am
Um, not for anything, but CactusRat’s equation equals 17, NOT 19.
4(x-1)+5=3(x+6)
4x-4+5=3x+18
4x+1=3x+18
4x=3x+17
x=17
That said, you are correct that the ages are 22/79.
I’ve never seen this much hostility over math before…..
March 25th, 2009 at 7:41 am
haha… my bad about messing up CactusRats dumb equation… i messed it up out of anger… why are people so dumbI(i guess including me)?
March 25th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Just for fun, can we throw in Pi, log and maybe some i as well? It’s a great comic, the correct answer to the math problem is not important. For argument’s sake though, the father may have not actually thought out the question and was just trying to confuse the son anyways.
But if you really want to squabble about it, be my guest.
/facepalm
March 26th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
4x/5^2
x/(3.14)/log(x)/3
2^(x/3.14)-4x/5^2
the kid is clearly 22
March 29th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
[...] Math Dad [...]
March 31st, 2009 at 7:23 am
[...] Math Dad [...]
May 1st, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I have never read more hilarious comments on a webcomic. Ever.
Win.
May 16th, 2009 at 12:25 am
were talking about 1 age here (the kids age). with that, you get what the age of the dad is by plugging in the kids age into the formula. i dont know why you guys had to put in 2 variables.
heres what i got.
4(x-1)+5 = 3x + 6
4x -4 +5 = 3x + 6
4x +1 = 3x + 6
x = 5
plugging in the variable.
4 ( 5 -1 ) + 5 = 21
and
3(5) + 6 = 21.
May 23rd, 2009 at 8:25 am
Jm, this is a two variable equation because you have to find x and y, you just skipped the first step/did it in your head (making both equations equal to y so you can drop a variable), but either way yours is wrong because you are saying 3x+6 when it should be 3(x+6) +5
In most of the equations with the wrong answers people are only putting + 5 in the first equation when it needs to be in both.
4x-4=y+5
3x+18=y+5
but it’s kind of confusing because if they’d bothered to check their answers they would have seen that they were wrong. I mean didn’t every high school math teacher ever tell you to go back and check all your answers?
and for the record… this is MATH! There are not “several” correct answers. There are not “ways to look at it” there may be different ways to solve or write an equation but if you aren’t getting the same answer then your equation is wrong or solved incorrectly.